Page 274
some disadvantages not common to all Associations;
many of its churches are in towns built up rapidly by
reason of the discovery of natural gas or oil, and the
factories were along lines of industry better under-
stood by foreigners than by native Americans, and so
the main part of the population was comparatively hard
to evangelize. Intemperance, gambling, and Sabbath
desecration prevailed to an alarming extent. And yet
as time goes on a more permanent work is being done;
and at length, as we hope, what at first seemed to be
a disadvantage will prove to be the means of a more
energetic evangelistic movement.
FORT WAYNE ASSOCIATION--(COUNTIES OF ALLEN,
WHITLEY, KOSCIUSKO, WABASH AND
HUNTINGTON).
This Association was organized at Fort Wayne in
1868 with the Rev. A. S. Kingsbury, moderator, and
the Rev. G. L. Stevens, clerk. It was formed from the
Huntington and Elkhart River Associations. At the -
tenth anniversary there were fifteen churches and 1331
members, and the ordained ministers were the Revs.
J. H. Winans, A. Latham, W. W. Robinson, D. W.
Sanders, J. R. Stone, G. P. Osborn, R. P. Jones, J. B.
Tuttle and 0. V. Frittz. The largest church mem-
bership was at Fort Wayne, 250, and the next largest
at Warsaw, 200. The total benevolences for the year
(barring the amount paid for minutes) were $589.41,
the largest amount being given for State Sunday
school work, $249.22. The proceedings of the twen-
ty-sixth anniversary mention eighteen churches and
Page 275
2,196 members, Fort Wayne church having 988, and
Warsaw 325. The total benevolence was $400.42, the
largest being for Home Missions--$122.80. The Sun-
day school enrollment was 1,803, and the ordained min-
isters the Revs. A. J. Gage, S. A. Northrop, G. L.
Conley, C. F. Dame, D. W. Sanders, W. A. Pavey,
F. Moro and L. R. McKinley. The Annual for 1906
contains the following information: Churches, six-
teen; members, 1,907, Fort Wayne church having
1,090 and Warsaw 182. The total benevolence for the
year, $1,122.78, leaving out what is classed under
"other benevolences"; the largest gift was for Foreign
missions ($380.81), of which amount the women gave
$283.70. The moderator was the Rev. A. E. Clem and
the clerk, Mrs. Clara Grand.
Among the laymen of the Association, Deacon John
Kenower holds a first place. He has long been in the
service; he has been a regular attendant at the meet-
ings of his Association and of the Indiana Baptist Con-
vention, and has always been deeply interested in
higher education, being one of the leaders in plant-
ing a Baptist Academy in Huntington--his own city.
He gave his children the advantages of a college train-
ing in Franklin college and has been a contributor to
its funds. He has also stood firmly for the doctrines
of his denomination, and has been at the front in
Sunday school work, being the Superintendent of the
school of his own church for twenty years. His home
was always open to the Lord's servants.
The Fort Wayne church is clear and strong in its
praise of its deacons, S. F. Bowser, A. Z. Polhamus
